Fearless artist Laurie Anderson heads to town as the Artist in Residence at HOTA
In a major coup for the city’s cultural scene, fearless pioneer and world-renowned avant-garde artist, composer, musician and film director Laurie Anderson will be on the Gold Coast this month as the first International Artist in Residence at HOTA. Known as one of the world’s most prolific and unique performance artists, Laurie is staging a series of must-see free and ticketed performances next weekend – here’s what is in store.
Sol/Stories in the Dark, June 20–21
The season of all-things Laurie Anderson kicks off with a unique double performance – the Quartet for SOL and Stories in the Dark. Laurie Anderson works her connection with conceptual artist and minimalist Sol LeWitt into a reimagined 30-minute composition with a string arrangement by the ‘celebrated, genre-transcending creative rebel’ composer Rubin Kodheli. This will be followed by the world premiere of Stories in the Dark, an immersive performance of multi-channel soundscapes that is said to take listeners on a journey of discovery, guided by stories emerging from total darkness. This unique double bill will be performed on HOTA’s new outdoor stage.
Language of the Future, Friday June 22
Laurie Anderson takes her next performance inside to HOTA’s Arts Theatre, with an intriguing performance that explores the concept of ‘now’. This one has been described as delving into how humans react to the ‘hallucinogenic rush of information that greets us, bombards us and demands our attention’. Language of the Future weaves story, song, electronics and imagery into Laurie Anderson’s familiar themes of themes of love, war, communication and history to create a genre-bending masterpiece.
Songs from the Bardo, Saturday June 23
This performance sees Laurie Anderson collaborate with renowned singer Tenzin Choegyal to bring treasured words and images of the ancient Bardo texts to life. The immersive experience communicates the teachings of The Great Liberation Through Hearing in the Bardo or Tibetan Book of the Dead – prepare to be mesmerised by this intriguing musical performance on HOTA’s outdoor stage.
Concert for Dogs, Sunday June 24
If you’re a dog in this day and age, your life would be pretty great. From dog hotels to puppy ice-cream, knitted jumpers and taco outfits, there are plenty of ways us humans can spoil our doggos. Though, if you’re looking for less materialistic ways to treat your furry friend, then head along to Concert for Dogs at HOTA on Sunday June 24. Yes, it’s an actual concert for actual dogs. It’s composed of melodies, frequencies and riffs especially created to entertain dogs and humans. Don’t miss this unique concert on the outdoor stage.
Laurie Anderson in Conversation: All the Things I Lost in the Flood, Sunday June 24
For her final performance, Laurie Anderson is engaging in conversation. The rare set will see her examine the powers and perils of language and storytelling, sparking questions about beauty, time, reality and memory. Her recent book All The Things I Lost In The Flood, Essays on Pictures, Language and Code goes into her career and personal experiences, and will form the basis of her on-stage conversation with local writers and artists. Kick back for an intriguing night under the starts on the outdoor stage.
To find out more about what’s on in the Gold Coast, head to our Event Guide.
